Rim-contractor.



G. P. MEYERS.

RIM CONTRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1913.

1 .108,'774=. Pa ented Aug. 25, 1914. I A 2 SHEETS'QHEBT 1.

lnvenfor G. P. MBYERS.

RIM CONTRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. a. 1913.

1 ,1 08,774. Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Zhwentor witnesses q attorneys GARRY P. MEYER-S. OF MOUNTAIN VIEV I,IH'ISSOURI.

RIM-CON'iRACTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19145.

Application filed November 6, 1913. Serial No. 798,606.

To all ii /mm it may concern Be it known that I, GARRY P. Mnrnns, acitizen of the United States, residing at Mountain View, in the countyof Howell and, t-hzate of Missouri have invented certain new and usefullmprrwements in Rim-Contractors; and I do hereby declare the follow ingto be a full, clear. and exact description of'the invention, such. will.enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to rim contractors and has for an object toprovide a device for contracting the demountable wheel rim of anautomoliiile or'the like to permit-the removal ofthe shoe therefrom. v

i\ further object of the invention is to provide a mechanical structurewhich will operate with (lei'nountable rims of the usual and ordinarytype as for instance clencher rims whereby one of the abutting ends ofsuch rim is drawn inwardly toward the center to contract the rim andsimultane ously to twist the structure of such run to draw the abuttingends apart which are abutting upon an'angle other than a r:i.-

dius. p

A further object of the invention is to provide a gripper claw to beused at the end of the niovablc parts for engaging and retaining itscontact with the inturned flanged edges of the rim.

With these and. other objects in view the invention comprises certainnovel construe lions. combinations and arrangement of parts as will hehereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view of theimproved rim contractor inposition upon a rim and showing in dottcdlines the rim drawn inwardly sothat-the shoe may be removed. 'Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional viewapproximately on a. diameter as indicated by line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a detail view of one of the gripper claws with one form of connectionwith the mov ing parts. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing anotherform of hinging the grip per claws to the moving parts. Fig. 5 is a viewof the device folded for storage or transportation. Fig. 6 is asectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figs. 1, 2 and 5. Fig. 7 is a prspective view of one of the grip per claws.

prises a rod 10 upon which 'sl'idesa sleeve with the claws pivoted.between six wardly adjacent the rods va s-ass B of the ends is drawninwardly.

Like characters of reference designat'cor responding parts throughoutthe severat views.

The improved rim contract-or which tori the subject matter of thisapplication coinll. said sleeve being preferably provided with a head orflange 12 by which links o other rods 33 a re pivotally connected-tomesleeve 11. Each of the rods 10-min ries gripper claws consi'tj-ngfo ashort claw 1i and a long claw- 1'5' pi-v0 I I 4 rods in anyapprovedmanner. I u at Figs. 1, 3 and 5 the pivoting isaccoin plishcd hv formingears 1.8 upon by means of rivets 17. 1 i V As shown at Figs'i!amid the claws I pivoted to the rods by forming eyes- '18 inthe rodsthemselves extending {through openings 19 in the claws, onc suclropening I being shown at Fig. 7. The latter iu'ir'nn'er of pivoting hasthe advantage-of. cheapness and economy and lurther lms-{the ad vantagethat the claws may-befoliled bafcltween the gripper claw-springs ployedwhich tend t0' 'ni oi-'e yieldingly together to'grip the edges of theclcncher tic-ularly at Figs. 2 and li." screw threaded at the endopposite its claws as shown at 21 and a nut 22 'is'mounted upon suchthreaded portion carrying 3' preferably integral crank '23 by which'saidnut may be manipulated.

In contracting a rim it is found that. it adds to the facility of thework if the rim is given a twisting motion at the time one For thisreason the device is provided with long and short claws with the shortclaw of the rod 10 engaging one edge of the rim while the short claw ofeach link orrod 13 engages the opposite edge of the rim so that thestructure extends thit ough the wheel staggered relative to a centralplane as indicated at Fig. '2. The engaging of the short claws upon theopposite edges of the rim as indicated at Fig. 2 will of necessitycause. the long claws also to engage opposite edges as likewiseindicated. The relation'of the long and short claws is such that theprinci pal pull caused by manipulating, the nut 22 will be exerted uporithe short claw, the

long claws being employed principally to hold the-short claw fromslipping from its engagement upon the edge of the rim. The springs 20perform the function of drawing the claws together when the device isplaced upon the rim but as soon as stress is exerted upon the nut 22 thestress serves to grip the claws tighter and the spring performs butliltitgf1 if any function after such stress is ap the device disposedupon the rim as shown at Figsgl and 2 it will be apparent that themanipulation of the nut 22 will serve to first draw the upper left-handedge of the rim as shown at Figure 2 thereby exerting. a'twi'stingaction to disengage the extremities of the rim, the claws of the rod 10being engaged adjacent one of the ends as shown particularly at Fig. 1.

The rim beingcontracted to dottedline position as shown at Fig. .1 itwill be apparentthat .the shoe may be readily disengaged' therefrom andslipped off from the rim. The rim is preferably retained in suchcontracted condition until a new shoe has been slipped into placewhereupon the action of the nut 22 is reversed and the rim allowed toreturn to full line position.

I claim:

1. In a rim contractor, a rod having a pair of gripper-claws at one endand screwthreaded at the opposite end; a sleeve slidableupon thescrewethreaded portion of the rod, links each pivoted at one end to thesleeve and having a pair of gripper, claws at its other end, oneclaw'bei-ngjlong and the other short, and a nut upon the screwthreadedportion of the rod adapted to move the sleeve slidably upon such rod.

In a rim contractor, a plurality of rods, each provided with a pair ofgripper claws at its outer end, a spring connecting the members of eachpair, said rods adapted to extend substantially radially from a commoncenter; and means to draw one of said r'ods toward the center upon suchradius.

3. In a rim contractor, a plurality of rods radiating from a centralpoint; gripper claws carried at the ends of each of said rods, saidgripper claws being composed respectively of one long and one shortclaw; and means to draw one of said rods through the center upon itsradius.

4. In a rim contractor, a plurality of grippers composed respectively ofpairs of pivoted long and short claws; means connecting said grippers toa central point; and means to draw one of said grippers toward thecenter.

5. The combination with a rim, of a contractor embodying a plurality ofgrippers, each consisting of a pivoted long and short claw, the shortclaw of one gripper adapted to engage one edge of the rim and the shortclaw of another gripper adapted to engage the opposite edge of the rim;and means to draw said grippers toward each other on a line at an angleto the main planiof the rim. y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

GARRY P. MEYERS.

Witnesses RAY L. GROSVENOR, CnAnnas M. Ma'rnn ws.

